Effect of the solids retention time on the rate of biodegradation of organic compounds

The paper studies the effect of the solids retention time (SRT) on the rate of biodegradation of morpholine (M), sulfanilic acid (SA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) in laboratory mixed culture systems, fed semicontinuously on a once-a-day feeding schedule. It has been found that the minimum values of SRT at which microorganisms degrading the above compounds were washed out from the cultivation systems were 3, 1, 1, and 20 days for M, SA, NTA, and EDTA systems, respectively. A critical value of SRT was defined as that below which the rate of substrate removal is lower than the rate of substrate application into the system. The critical values of SRT were found to be 8, 3, 2.5, and above 20 days for M, SA, NTA, and EDTA systems, respectively. In a range between the minimum and critical values of SRT the mixed culture system cannot give stable efficiency of a given compound removal and the effluent concentration can be expected to vary considerably. Above the critical value of SRT, every cultivation system has a potential capability of shock loading treatment.     

A rapid-response 2-D drag anemometer for atmospheric turbulence measurements

A rapid response drag anemometer for measuring streamwise and lateral components of horizontal windspeed is described. Theory of operation, design and calibration are discussed with emphasis on the electronic preconditioning of signals and problems associated with using a mechanically resonant system as a sensor. Field comparisons showed half-hourly means and standard deviations of the streamwise component to be within 8% and 5% of respective values obtained from a 3-dimensional sonic anemometer. The lateral component from the drag anemometer was significantly more noisy than that from the 3-D sonic due to induced oscillations arising from vortex shedding. After mechanical and electronic filtering, half-hourly standard deviation comparisons agreed to within 6% for this component. Friction velocities obtained from the drag anemometer in combination with a 1-D sonic, agreed with measurements from the 3-D sonic anemometer to within 4% over a measured range of 0.05 to 1.2 m s^-1     

Domain wall formation in minerals: I. theory of twin boundary shapes in Na-feldspar

Domains of triclinic Na-feldspar which are a direct consequence of structural strain are investigated theoretically. The following conclusions are arrived at. Only two types of twin walls are created by spontaneous strain, namely the Albite- and Pericline twin walls. If intersections occur, rounded corners are predicted. Any third domain wall close to such an intersection must bend into an S-shape. Narrow domains between two twin walls tend to become needle-shaped close to the intersection with a further, perpendicular, twin wall. The combination of the elastic stiffness coefficients c ₄₄ c ₆₆-c ₄₆ ² is expected to become small at temperatures near to the transition temperature. In the same temperature interval elastic fluctuations occur; their amplitudes and propagation directions are given.     

Assessment of the natural resources of groundwater by using balance-hydrodynamic models

The specific features of formulation and implementation of balance-hydrodynamic simulation during different-scale studies of natural resources of groundwater. Are an example of detailed estimate of the resources and balance of groundwater in the Vologda River basin is given. It is noted that the use of balance-hydrodynamic models, in addition to an increase in the general reliability of estimates, allows the calculation of normal annual characteristics of groundwater resources with different occurrence (exceedance probability), which is impracticable when hydrodynamic methods in other formulations are used.